Semiconductor wafer fab equipment trends: Lithography

April 9, 2012 — Barclays Capital compiled its 2011 analysis of semiconductor wafer fab equipment (WFE) spending, with a look at the top players and underlying trends by process step. Here, Barclays’ CJ Muse considers lithography’s current state and future.

A look at the historical trends and data from Gartner show that the lithography tool intensity (% of total WFE spending) continues to be strong, says Barclays Capital, in its assessment of 2011’s WFE moves. Lithography tool intensity grew from ~19.6% in 2007 to ~21.1% in 2010 and stayed roughly flattish in 2011. In the long run, litho share of WFE could be as much as 25%.

With the market transitioning to more immersion lithography tools due to 2x/3x/4x semiconductor patterning, and as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) litho units are finishing qualification stages, litho tool average selling prices (ASP) will trend from $20.1M in 2011 to $22.1M in 2012.

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